This invention relates to means for relieving stresses in the axle housing and spindle of a wheel assembly, adapted for use on a construction vehicle. Construction vehicles, such as wheel loaders and the like, normally have each wheel thereof rotatably mounted on a spindle secured to the end of an axle housing. Such an arrangement facilitates expeditious removal of the wheel assembly, including the wheel, a drive axle, a brake package, bearings and attendant components, for servicing purposes.
A radial flange of the spindle is normally secured to a radial flange of the axle housing by a plurality of circumferentially disposed bolts to facilitate such removal of the wheel assembly. The wheel assembly, due to its cantilevered relationship on the side of the vehicle, tends to impose tensile stresses on such flanges, as depicted by arrows T in FIG. 3 of the drawings.